Buffing machine for drawing rolls



July 7, 1953 K. P. SWANSON BUFFING MACHINE FOR DRAWING ROLLS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 16, 1950 .INVENTOR.

July 7, 1953 K. P. SWANSON BUFFING MACHINE FOR DRAWING ROLLS Z'Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 16, 1950 Patented July 7, 1953 BUFFINGKMACHINE FOR DRAWING ROLLS Kenneth P. Swanson, Abington, Mass., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Textile Engineering Corporation, Whitman Massachusetts Mass., a corporation of Application March 16, 1956, Serial No. 149,979

Claims. (01. 51-95) 'Ihis invention relates to the grinding or bufling of the resilient coverings of drawing rolls used in the process of spining yarn. A smooth, truly cylindrical and concentric surface must be put on and kepton the cots covering thebosses of the top ro'llsin order to make good yarn, and every mill employing the customary top rolls covered with cork or rubber composition or other synthetic resilient material must have access to buffing machines, of which a number p,

of well-known makes are commercially available, in order to keep its top rolls in good work.- ing shape.

The introduction of shell rolls, including ball bearing rolls, and other anti-friction bearing rolls, has made a new problem for the mills, because most existing buffing machines are built solely for solid rolls and are designed to revolve the rolls, while pressed against the grinding wheel, by engaging solely the pintles of the rolls. Hence these machines-are useless for grinding shell and anti-friction type rolls the bosses of Which are free on their axles, and as constructed can only be used to grind each shell of the shell type roll individually after removal from the roll axle. Such step is impracticable because of resulting lack of standardization in grinding successive rolls, and its proneness to produce tapered rolls having different diameters at their two ends; in addition to the nuisance-0f requiring disassembling and-reassembling of each roll, inferior performance results from returning the rolls to the wrong ends of the shaft. Also, when the pintles of the solid. rolls are formed of nylon or other material havinga low coefficient of friction these machines do not work reliably.

Machines have been proposed to grind these shell type and anti-friction rolls by driving the bosses instead of the pintles, but had the drawback that then they would not handle the solid type rolls conveniently or efliciently, and therefore the mill making yarn needed two kinds of grinders, because it also possessed and used solid grinding wheel and held theinner ends of the cots outward, resulting in a taper grind." As is fundamental and well understood, any cot which tapers, or is eccentric, or has an uneven profile, will spin yarn which is inferior because not level, and errors of taperand departures from straight profile, concentricity, parallel relation to the roll shaft, and equal exterior diameters of the two cots of a roll, must be within a practical limit of .002," for fine work. Additionally, these'prior buffing machines which rotated the bosses frictionally about their own axleshad defective capacity for adjustment to takerolls of different dimensions, as well as for adjustment of the pressure exerted by the frictional driving means against the cot.

It is the leading object of the present invention to remedy these drawbacks in prior machines, and to these ends the invention com prises mechanism to be constructed primarily as an attachment to existing commercial bufling machines, though capable of being built as an entire new machine-and adapted to handle rolls which had to be ground. Additionally, in

one or more of these special grinders the pressure of theelements rotating the shells by frictional engagement was applied in a direction radially toward the axis of the grinding wheel, while the counter-acting pressure supporting. this thrust was applied to the shaft of the roll at mid-length and directed outward radially of the grinding wheel, with the result thatbecause of the substantial offset axially these forces exerted a bending action on the'entire roll which threw the outer ends of the cotsinward toward the either solid, anti-friction, or shell type rolls through providing rollsupporting centers having axleor pintle-supporting elements which with the same structure either revolve freely with a of contact offthe roll cot with the surfaceof the latter. Thereby any thus induced distortion of the roll shaft or slackin the roll bearings causing or permitting departure of oneor both of the shells. from true alignment with the line of traverse of the roll with respect to the grinding wheel will be negligiblein its tendency to grind ataper on thefcot. r

The manner of attainment of the other-,objects of the invention referred to above and also hereinafter is asset forth in the following description. j

An illustrativeembodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in

which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a buffing attach-- ment made according to theinvention, designed axle through the wall of member 23 bears against a to be applied to the existing parts of a commercial roll-bufling machine.

Fig. 21s a vertical section on line 22 of Fig. 1, with the grinding wheel added.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an alternative form of gear drive from the motor shaft, to provide facility for changing gear ratios.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 4, looked at from behind the machine.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the operating handle and its supporting structure.

The invention is shown as built as an attachment to an existing bufiingmachine, to enable a single buffing machine to grind either solid type, anti-friction type, or shell type rolls. Herein, the attachment is designed to fiton the well-.

known Armstrong bufiing machine, of which only fragmentary parts are shown, but in which a grinding wheel I on its drive-shaft 3 is mounted in fixed position on the stationary frame of the machine,'whi1e a tabled slides backand forth parallel to grinding wheelshaft-ii, carrying the bearings 5 in which is mounted the square hollow rockshaft i which supports the headstock 9 and tailstock H] holding the usual live centers for pintles of solid type rolls. This same rockshaft 1 carries the electric motor I3 which conventionally drives one of the centers and thus rotates a solid type top roll while the latter -is brought into contact with grinding 7 wheel l -13, a pair of centers carried respectively by the headstock and tailstock on the rockshaft T and supporting the top roll directly above the friction driving roller, means for-pressing thefriction driving roller yieldingly upward against the top roll while held in such centers and likewise for 'lowering the driving roller for change of the top roll, and 'means for coupling the'flexible shaft to the motor shaft. Among additional features is the provision for either holding the axle of 'antifriction orshell type rolls from rotation; or permitting rotation of the pintles of a solid top roll.

Thus, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2,'the anti-friction type top roll 15 has each end of its axle l1 seated in a conical recess- [9 in a center '21 rotatably mounted within a recess formed in'the end of each member 23 gripped within the clamp -ll of headstock 9 and carried by tailstock l0.

sleeve bearings 26 support each center 2| for free rotation aboutits axis and that of member 23, and bearing 24 supportsthe. end-thrust of H, but a clamping'screw J25 threaded reduced portion of the shank 21- of center 21 to "hold the latter and thus the axle I! of anti-fricwheel I during the time when its surface is in engagement with the grinding wheel, metallic friction driving roller 3| is provided havingtwo "bosses 33, preferably fluted, fixed on a common -axle with "capacity for adjustment axially thereon, which axle is connected by universal joints 3! and telescoping shafting 39 with a gear 4| meshing with a second gear 43 fixed on the tapered end of shaft 45 of motor 13 by screw 46. Thereby friction driving roller 3| is rotated reversely to the direction of rotation of motor l3 each time the latter runs. I

'To hold the bosses 33 of driving roller 3! in firm driving engagement with the cots covering each boss of roll [5, so that each boss will be rotated about the stationary axle I! at identical speed and'in the safnemanner, an enlarged midsection 4! of shaft 35 of the driving roll is mounted in self-aligning bearings 48 in a box 49 carried at the free end of an arm5l pivoted at. 53 between the upper ends of paired brackets 55 clamped upon the rectangular portion of rock- 'shaft 1 by bolts 51 and yokes 59.

Arm 51 is raised and lowered by toggle links BI, '63, their common pivot being connected by links 67 with a pivot 69. in hand lever 1| pivoted at 13 in brackets 55. The lower toggle link 63 is pivoted at 13 to a plunger 15 which has'a driving roller 3! are each pressed, firmly against the cot of one of the bosses it of drawing roll,

l5. The direction ofthe pressure exerted by the driving roller on the drawing roll 15, being vertically upward, is substantially ata tangent to grinding wheel I. The strength of the pressure is controlled and modified as desired, by screwing cup 8| up or down in its tapped hole in the block 82 joining brackets 55, to increase orgdecrease the loading of spring .19.

Thus, to use the device in bufiing an anti-friction top roll 15, handle ll :lS swung forward and downward to bend the toggle and lower the arm 5| and thus the driving roller 3|, giving free access to the space between centers 23 for the insertion of a top roll to be buffed. The ends of the rolls axle I! are then seated in centers 2! in customary manner by first depressing and then releasing hand-lever l2 of tailstock II] to retract and then return member 23 so that its center 2| supports the proximate end of axle I'I under pressure of the usual spring not shown) inside the o'pposin'g boss of the top roll; the continued straightening of the toggle thereafter loading the spring 19 to attain the: desired thrust of the driving roller 3! against the cots of top roll I 5 to insure'certainjrotation of the bosses of top roll i5. By reason 'of the self-aligning bearing "supporting the driving roller 3|, the latter is able 'to assume the exact angular relationship of its axis to that .of the top 1011 needed-to equalize the pressure to drivejbothbosses [B of the top roll [5 'with equal :power. 'As different kinds of cot material require different degrees of driving pressureby the bosses of roller 3|, therequired adjustment is easily and quickly attained by merely screwing cup 8| up or down, to change the elevation of its spring rest or abutment formed by the bottom of the cup.

As is obvious, the adjustment of the spring tension by screwing cup 8| up or down serves to of 4%" diameter such as are used in the Brad-l ford worsted system. Longitudinal adjustment along rockshaft of bracket 9 and tailstock l carrying the centers supporting the top roll likewise adjusts the machine to top rolls of different lengths. The spaced relation of bosses 33 on their shaft 35 is likewise adjusted by the manipulation of set screws holding the bosses to the shaft, to match the gauge of the particular top roll being buffed.

The toggle mechanism represents one form, and at present the preferred form, of an irreversible mechanical leverage for quickly releasing and reinstating the spring pressure thrusting the driving roll against the top roll with exactly the same driving pressure each time a fresh roll of the same dimensions is inserted for bufiing. By the same token, all cots of these similar rolls will be accurately buifed to the same diameter with a single setting of the apparatus, because held in identical manner. It

is to be understood that the original adjustable stop mechanism including the hand screw provided to fix the angular position of rockshaft about its axis and thus establish the depth of cut of the grinding wheel I is retained and utilized.

To maintain the preferred direction of rotation of the top roll I during buffing, while utilizing the original motor l3, the flexible shaft driving roller 3| is not driven directly from the motor shaft but reversely to the direction of ro- I tation of such motor shaft, through the use of gears 4| and 43. To hold gear 4| in mesh with the gear 43 fixed on the end of motor shaft 45, a bracket Illl is provided and fixed on rockshaft by clamping bolts I03 and a yoke similar to 59, Figs. 2 and 3, andin the upper end of such bracket a bearing is formed in a hub I05 to receive the end portion ID! of the flexible shaft 39 on which gear 4| is mounted. A shell I99 is formed integral with bracket |0| and hub N35, to serve as a housing enclosing and shielding the two gears 4|, 43.

An alternative form of gear drive shown in Figs. 4 and 5 provides for easily changing the gear ratio to adjust the speed of rotation of roller 3| and thus of the bosses of the top roll, both to suit different diameters of top rolls and also for different kinds of cot material, and sometimes to compensate for wearing down of the grinding wheel I. Thus, a split collar 83, Figs. 4 and 5, is bolted around hub 85 of the motor, and provided with an arm 81 clamped by bolts 89 and 9| to an arm 93 carrying a bearing 95 supporting the outward end of the flexible shaft, on which gear 4| is fixed. Arm 93 is slotted at 88 where bolt 89 extends therethrough, to permit slight modification of the angular relation of the two arms to accommodate gears 4|, 43, of different ratios where change of speed of the roll being buffed is desired.

do not wish to be limitedto the particular forms The drive of driving roller 3| through 'flexible shafting affords'the necessary provision-for dis aligning the axis of such roller from that of its driving. gear 4| in working the toggle to lift and lower the driving roller.

When solid rolls are to be buffed onthis attachment, the only change necessary is to loosen clamping screws 25 from tangs 21 so as to permit centers 2| to rotate freely within members 23 r by .reason of the ball thrust bearings 24 and sleeve bearings 26. By this simplest of operations, the mere loosening of two screws, the attachment is converted to acondition in which solid rolls are buffed with the same case and.

accuracy as already set forth bufling of shell rolls.

While I have illustrated and described certain forms in which the invention may be embodied,

in regard to the I am aware that many modifications may be made therein by any person skilled in the art,

without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore, I

shown, or to the details of construction thereof, but what I do claim is:

l. A buifing machine for drawing rolls having in' combination a grinding wheel, centers supporting the roll in contact with the grinding wheel with capacity for movement lengthwise of the latters axis with its own axis ever parallel to such axis, and roller means rotating the bosses of the roll by frictional contact therewith'efiected by radial pressure against the bosses at right angles to the radius of the grinding wheel at the rolls point of contact with the latter, such roller means being free to varythe angle ofits axis to that of the top roll.. p

2. A bufiing machine for drawing rolls having in combination a grinding wheel, means supporting the roll by its ends for movement lengthwise of the axis of the grinding wheel, adriving roller, means yieldingly forcing the driving roller into frictional engagement with the boss or bosses of the drawing roll, and means continuously driving the driving roller, the, rollsupporting means being adapted to permit rotation of the ends of the roll and also having clamping means preventing such rotation of the ends when desired.

3. An attachment for bufiing machines having a grinding wheel, a carriage traversing'past the grinding wheel, and a support on the carriage movable crosswise of the carriages movement, such attachment comprising in combination centers to be mounted on the support for supporting the roll in contact with thegrinding wheel, a driven roller driving the roll by frictional engagement with the bosses of the roll, a spring carried on the said support, linkage connecting the spring and driving roller, and manually operable means setting the linkage to transmit the springs force to the driving roller to press the latter against the bosses of the roll in a direction at right angles to the radius of the grinding wheel at the point where the latter engages the roll.

4. A bufling machine for drawing rolls having in combination a grinding wheel, means supporting the roll in contact with the grinding wheel, a roller adapted to rotate the rolls bosses by frictional contact therewith, means drivin the roller, spring means urging the roller into contact with the bosses of the roll, and linkage between the spring and the roller transmitting the force of the spring to the roller, manually '7 operablelin one direction to relieve thezstress of the spring for removal 'of a buffed roll and :in the other direction toreinstate the identical force upon the roller when the latter :is engaged with a second drawing roll'of 'thefsame size as the first. r

5. A b uifing machine for drawing rolls having in combination a grinding wheel, supporting means for the ends of the drawing roll, a rockshaft mounting the supporting means :for .movement to and from the grindingwheel, a :roller -mounted on the rockshaft forbodily movement therewith "andralso for rotation, means for rotating theroller also mounted 'on the rockshaft,

andlinkage shifting the roller radially of the rockshaft into and out of driving engagement with the drawing roll. l

, 6. -.A buiiing machine iordrawing rolls having in combination a grinding; wheel, supporting lmeans for the ends of the drawingroll, 'a rockshaft mounting the supporting means for c'movement to and from thegrinding wheel, a roller mounted on the 'rockshaft .for bodily movement therewith-and also for rotation, means .f or irotating the roller also mounted on the rockshaft, toggle linkage thrusting the roller against the drawing roll in a direction radially of the rockshaft, manually operablelmeans actuating the toggle linkage, andyielding means governing the pressure of the roller against the drawing roll.

7. A bufiing machine 'for drawing rolls'having in combination grinding wheel, supporting means for the ends of the drawing roll, a rockshaft mounting the supporting means for movement to and from the grinding wheel, a roller mounted on the rockshaft'ior bodily movement therewith and also for rotation, means for rotating the roller also mounted on the ro'ckshaft, toggle linkage thrusting the roller against the roll, a spring supporting one end of the toggle linkage, and an abutment engaged by one end 'of 'the spring and shiftableto adjust the spring tension and thus the working pressure of the roller against the drawing'roll. l

8. An attachment for drawing roll buffing machines havinga grinding wheel-,- a traversing carriage, and a driving motor on such carriage, the attachment having in combination-centers for sup-porting the drawing roll for swinging movement toward and from the grinding wheel at right angles to the latters axis, a roller drivroll past the latter with itsaxis ever parallel to that of the grinding wheel, a driving roller "frictionally engaging the drawingroll to rotate the latter, and means yieldingly thrusting the driving roller againstthe drawing .roll, such thrustbeing supported wholly by the means engaging the ends of the drawingroll. V

10. An attachment for drawing roll burfing machines having in combination a grinding wheel, a traversing carriage, a rockshait thereon, and a driving motoralso on the carriage, such attachment-havingin combination arms to be mounted on the rockshaft having centers to support the drawing roll by its ends, a bracket to be also mounted on the rockshaft, an arm pivoted on such bracket, a bearing on the free endof such arm, a roller for frictional driving engagement with the drawing roll mounted in such bearing, linkage swinging such arm, with respect to the bracket to thrust the roller carried by the arm into engagement with the drawing roll, and yielding means determining the strength of such thrust.

KENNETH P. S-WANSON.

1 References Cited the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1' 1,733,087 Heim Oct. 22, 1929 1,843,414 Busch Feb; 2, 1932 2,106,215 Hutchens Jan. 25, 1938 2,180,529 Kaseberg Nov. 21, 1939 2,345,308 Wallace Mar. 28, 1944 2,418,871 Danielson Apr. 15, 1947 2,508,102 Cupler May 16, 1950 2,529,433 Venner et 'al. Nov. 7', 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 510,558 Great Britain Aug. "3, 1939 725,816 7 Germany Sept. '30, 1942 

